| So, you learned HTML and now your ready to design | | | | changes your website's look and feel from the |
| your website. Well, as an experienced web designer | | | | functioning code. If you design the code yourself, |
| let me share some tips. | | | | you'll be tempted to mix the look and feel with the |
| 1. Use CSS (cascading style sheets). If you do not | | | | functioning aspects. So, if later you want to update |
| know CSS, learn it. CSS allows you to keep the | | | | the look and feel, you'll have to dig through the long |
| formatting of your site (e.g. the color or size of a | | | | software scripts. If you're going to be using freeware |
| piece of text) on a separate single page - a CSS | | | | or any other code that you didn't design yourself, |
| document. Thus, with CSS you can change the | | | | you should still be familiar with that language. |
| formatting of a common-element by simply updating | | | | 4. Don't use free or cheap web-hosting. Okay, this |
| one piece of code on one page, rather then updating | | | | isn't necessarily a design tip. However, hosting is |
| all the pages of your site. For example, if you want | | | | related to design. Free hosts may scatter your |
| to change the back-ground color of your website, | | | | website with annoying ads. So, you won't be able to |
| you could just change your one CSS sheet and your | | | | load your site as is. Also, free and cheap hosts often |
| entire website's background color would change. | | | | don't support dynamic websites. Unless you're |
| Another great aspect of CSS is that you can use it | | | | website is supposed to be a joke, don't use a free |
| to set the default properties of HTML tags. This can | | | | host. |
| be used to counter browser compatibility problem - | | | | 5. Don't write your email address on your website. If |
| that different browsers (e.g. Internet Explorer, | | | | you have a phone number or mailing address that |
| Netscape, etc.) use different default settings. | | | | your customers can use to reach you or your |
| 2. Test your website in all browsers. Just because | | | | business, publish that on your website. Website's with |
| your website displays a certain way in one browser, | | | | a phone number or mailing address appear much |
| doesn't mean it will display that way in another | | | | more reliable and honest than websites without |
| browser. You should check that your website | | | | contact information. However, don't publish your email |
| displays properly in all of the major following | | | | address, because spammers will use web-crawlers will |
| browsers: Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and | | | | to pick it up. Instead, design a form on your website |
| Netscape, and Opera. | | | | that customers can use to send messages or |
| 3. Use open source software and freeware, if you | | | | questions without giving your email address. |
| want to create a dynamic website. Even if you know | | | | 6. Take it slow. Unfortunately, the only way to |
| dynamic languages (such as JavaScript, PHP, and CGI) | | | | become an expert designer is through experience, |
| well enough to create your own software and | | | | but your business can't afford sloppy pages. Don't |
| features, you do not want to do that if you are a | | | | attempt to design complex and dynamic websites |
| beginner. There's no reason to create your own | | | | without the ability. If you try to design a code, but |
| dynamic scripts (e.g. shopping carts, chat-rooms, etc.), | | | | find it hard and the code begins to come out sloppy, |
| if you can find full-functioning customizable freeware. | | | | don't hesitate to just throw it out. It's better to have |
| A great benefit of this method is that the | | | | a simple, sleek, and functional website, than to have |
| customization options will separate the code that | | | | a complex, sloppy, dysfunctional website. |